Size of K class

[Anonymous]

Harbor typically has 15 - 16 in a K class, with two teachers. This year is a bit smaller with 13 or 14 kids, I think, and two teachers.

[Anonymous]

Class size seems to vary quite a bit at different DCPS schools. It seems like most classes have a part time teaching assistant working with a full time teacher.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/324596.page
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/291035.page
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/330734.page
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/294944.page

[Anonymous]

When I toured Murch for K (last year) class size was 20+, no idea how many children were expected for the coming fall, one teacher and one TA who in at least one class was not certified (or whatever the standard is) the PTA paid for the assistants.

[Anonymous]

Sheridan for k is 3 teachers. Not assistants. They have 25 kids and go to science, music a few times a week and split the class in two - always with 2 or 3 teachers attending each group. Pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheridan for k is 3 teachers. Not assistants. They have 25 kids and go to science, music a few times a week and split the class in two - always with 2 or 3 teachers attending each group. Pretty amazing.

Is that really a good ratio? 25 kids with 2 teachers seems a bit high? With 3 that seems good but not sure operationally how 3 teachers work in a single class every single day?

When you say 2-3 teachers does that mean it varies day by day (ie-one teacher floats) or are the same 3 teachers assigned to the same class of 25 every day? For example- Is it one 'grade' of 25 with two classes with 12-13 (and a teacher) and one teacher who floats across the grade or is it really a single class of 25?

Ours is 19
with 2 certified teachers but I still feel that is high because the local public has a similar ratio...

Hmm?

[Anonymous]

SSSAS - 12 students, 1 teacher and a floater assistant between 2 K classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir is 20-21 per class. There are two teachers in every classroom, every grade. Specials are taught to children in small groups (half the class or less)...these include science, spanish, art, music/drama etc. When that group is with the "specials" teacher the classroom teachers work with the remaining smaller group. The ratio is about 7:1.

For its two teachers, does Beauvoir still use the model where one is an experienced teacher and the other is a new trainee teacher? I recall them talking about that a few years ago when we applied.

I personally think it's a fine model for reducing the ratio, and each year's trainee should bring in new ideas and energy. But I recall thinking the admissions person describing the program came across a little defensive, as if she herself felt she had to justify it. But then again, she was an admissions person, not a teacher herself, so she probably had to put up with a lot of skepticism from parents.

So anyway, do they still use that model?

PP from Beauvoir here. Short answer, yes. The "assistant" teachers are fantastic--and well-educated. FWIW, they aren't aides, they are highly qualified. We've been happy with the faculty and the overall experience there.

[Anonymous]

You really need to look past K if you're comparing public and private. I'm not sure why that's such a focus on this thread because I chose private over public for many more reasons than just class size. That being said, it seems like the biggest difference is in class size in 1st and beyond. Most public K's maintain class size, but go to 1 teacher. That doesn't happen in private schools. For example, in my local public the 1st grade has 1 teacher for 25 kids. In DC's school there's 1 for 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir is 20-21 per class. There are two teachers in every classroom, every grade. Specials are taught to children in small groups (half the class or less)...these include science, spanish, art, music/drama etc. When that group is with the "specials" teacher the classroom teachers work with the remaining smaller group. The ratio is about 7:1.

For its two teachers, does Beauvoir still use the model where one is an experienced teacher and the other is a new trainee teacher? I recall them talking about that a few years ago when we applied.

I personally think it's a fine model for reducing the ratio, and each year's trainee should bring in new ideas and energy. But I recall thinking the admissions person describing the program came across a little defensive, as if she herself felt she had to justify it. But then again, she was an admissions person, not a teacher herself, so she probably had to put up with a lot of skepticism from parents.

So anyway, do they still use that model?

In Pre-K, not K, at Beauvoir, but both our classroom teachers have roughly equal experience (and are both excellent).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You really need to look past K if you're comparing public and private. I'm not sure why that's such a focus on this thread because I chose private over public for many more reasons than just class size. That being said, it seems like the biggest difference is in class size in 1st and beyond. Most public K's maintain class size, but go to 1 teacher. That doesn't happen in private schools. For example, in my local public the 1st grade has 1 teacher for 25 kids. In DC's school there's 1 for 13.

My public has 25 to 1 teacher in K. No aides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NPS has 3 K classes of 12 kids each. Each class has 1 teacher, and there is 4th teacher who floats amongst the 3 classes.

Four our DS, it's exactly what he needs. Love the school so far.

Ditto. I personally don't believe there is a better school than NPS for elementary.

[Anonymous]

Maret has two teachers for 20 students, plus separate art, science, music, language and PE teachers. I cannot imagine a better setup.

And the two K teachers are both fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our DCPS we have 23 kids and 2 teachers.

Two full time teachers? Which DCPS school is that? What grade?

Kindergarten. Yes two full time teachers. As our luck would have it both are certified but the teaching assistant does not have to be certified, ours just happens to be. All title 1 schools have this ratio.

You mean that you have one full-time teacher and one assistant that is certified to be a teacher?

[Anonymous]

SSSAS has 11-12 in each K class with two teachers. Burgundy has 14. ACPS has 16-20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our DCPS we have 23 kids and 2 teachers.

Two full time teachers? Which DCPS school is that? What grade?

Kindergarten. Yes two full time teachers. As our luck would have it both are certified but the teaching assistant does not have to be certified, ours just happens to be. All title 1 schools have this ratio.

You mean that you have one full-time teacher and one assistant that is certified to be a teacher?

Different poster with another question: Does each classroom have its own full-time assistant in the classroom all the time? Or are you saying there is a full-time-employee assistant who floats between different classrooms? Not sure, and I've heard some DCPS parents describe varying situations, so trying to get clarification on what you're saying.